The idea was one of three proposals Hassan highlighted during remarks to the Portsmouth Rotary Club.

In recent weeks, the Exeter Democrat and former state senator has delivered the message that she will restore support for public education as a means of boosting economic growth. That message was complemented Thursday by a promise to increase efficiency and transparency in state government.

Hassan said she would create a so-called “consensus revenue estimating panel.” The panel would consist of economists, state employees and a bipartisan group of legislators. It would provide updated revenue projections to lawmakers throughout the year.

“As lawmakers, we can have differences and we can have different priorities, but we need to be using the same facts,” Hassan said. “That's an important step to break gridlock and bring people together so we can move the state forward.”

Hassan also said she would work with the Legislature to make sure the largest state agencies are audited more frequently, and promised to provide greater accountability by providing data about government spending online.

“People have a right to know that we are using their taxpayer dollars as efficiently as possible,” she said. “That's why as governor, I'll work with agencies to develop performance goals and metrics and make sure that information is publicly available on the Internet.”

Speaking to a small audience at the Portsmouth Country Club in Greenland, Hassan reaffirmed her pledge to veto any new sales tax or income tax that comes across her desk. Hassan also said she would reverse some of the “bad decisions” made by the current GOP-controlled Legislature, which cut taxes on tobacco, and established a new tax credit to help students attend private schools, which Democrats say is akin to a school voucher program.

Regarding casino gambling, Hassan said she supports the construction of one “high end, highly regulated” casino in New Hampshire.

Hassan also discussed health care and pension reform while fielding a handful of questions from the audience. She said the next governor of New Hampshire should “look closely” at accepting money from the federal government to fund the expansion of the Medicaid program, a measure called for under the federal health care law passed in 2010.

Hassan's Republican opponent, Ovide Lamontagne, has said he would not participate in the Medicaid expansion, and would instead request a waiver from the federal government to receive funding to establish a state-specific health care program.

Hassan argued the federal money will be a valuable asset to the state, but lawmakers must ensure that it's used in a way that makes sense for New Hampshire and addresses the underlying factors that drive up health care spending.